code inforcement inspector
- Thread starter mikekelly
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chris kennedy
Senior Member
- Location
- Miami Fla.
- Occupation
- 60 yr old tool twisting electrician
My guess would be no as per 110.3(B).
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Depends somewhat on what you are mean by "makeshift dead front".
I cannot think of anything that would prohibt one from putting a door or removable panel in front of a panel board.
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
So are you saying that In the event that someone looses a deadfront you cannot have a metal fab make a replacement of equal thickness and material.
I don't see any problem fabricating a dead front either.
As long as it is a safe installation.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Couldn't there be an issue with the panel's listing if you fabbed a replacement when you could have bought one from the manufacturer or made one for a panel that didn't have a listed dead front? I'm not talking from a practical "will it work right" perspective, but from a "who's the lawyer going to chase" perspective.
A panelboard is mounted in a cabinet, cutout box or enclosure as per 408.38.
Cabinet, cutout box and enclosures are as per 312.
I don't see where the cabinet for a panelbord needs to be listed execpt for nometalic cabinets as per 312.10(C).
If I am wrong, please let me know where a listing is required.
Last edited:
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
The problem usually is that, they want to make the new dead front out of sheet metal and cut it out with tin snips.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
What is the problem with that? If it is allowed, it does not matter much how it is fabricated as long as it is suitable.
I have had to do that. Sometimes you come across old equipment that you would be hard pressed to find replacement parts for and have to fabricate a replacement part. A dead front is not critical to the actual function of the panel like the breakers or buss. The one thing I would be careful of though is making sure the sheet metal was of a heavier guage similar to that of a manufacturers dead front .
renosteinke
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Arkansas
Do you want the 'legal' answer, or do you want to make things work?
Panels, the bussbar assemblies, and breakers are tested as a complete assembly. This is why putting a brand "a" breaker in a brand "b" panel can be a code issue. Technically, it's no different with the panel cover.
In addition, panels are required to have various markings- many of which are placed on the cover or dead front. A replacement cover might not have those stickers, thus putting the entire panel out of code compliance.
Indeed, simply repainting a cover might cause a code violation by covering those stickers.
That's the 'legal' answer.
Then there's the real world. omehow a panel face comes up missing at the end of a job, or is somehow damaged, or has far too many breaker KO's removed What are you to do?
Even for a current panel, it's darn near impossible to buy a replacement piece. They'd just as soon have you replace the entire panel. What if the panel is of a discontinued make? Not every panel can be readily replaced.
I will admit that, yes, I have had replacement covers made. I've even had a paint shop mix up some spot-on paint. Technically a code violation, I have no doubt that the covers I made would pass every test at UL -including corrosion testing- and just lack the necessary stickers. I doubt any inspector will ever notice.
My objection to the OP's question lays in his use of the word "makeshift." While I would not object to an "equivalent" replacement, I'm not about to accept (for example) a piece of plywood in place of the original cover.
Panels, the bussbar assemblies, and breakers are tested as a complete assembly. This is why putting a brand "a" breaker in a brand "b" panel can be a code issue. Technically, it's no different with the panel cover.
In addition, panels are required to have various markings- many of which are placed on the cover or dead front. A replacement cover might not have those stickers, thus putting the entire panel out of code compliance.
Indeed, simply repainting a cover might cause a code violation by covering those stickers.
That's the 'legal' answer.
Then there's the real world. omehow a panel face comes up missing at the end of a job, or is somehow damaged, or has far too many breaker KO's removed What are you to do?
Even for a current panel, it's darn near impossible to buy a replacement piece. They'd just as soon have you replace the entire panel. What if the panel is of a discontinued make? Not every panel can be readily replaced.
I will admit that, yes, I have had replacement covers made. I've even had a paint shop mix up some spot-on paint. Technically a code violation, I have no doubt that the covers I made would pass every test at UL -including corrosion testing- and just lack the necessary stickers. I doubt any inspector will ever notice.
My objection to the OP's question lays in his use of the word "makeshift." While I would not object to an "equivalent" replacement, I'm not about to accept (for example) a piece of plywood in place of the original cover.
I'll buy that.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Where Reno said that he had had them made, I don't have a problem with that, I never said you couldn't have a replacement one made, I said that you can't make it out of sheet metal and cut it with tin snips.
Don't you think that if the manufacturers wanted the dead front's made out of sheet metal that they would just do it them selfs. Sure would be a lot cheaper.
I would look at 314.41 and figure that dead fronts should fall under that too. I would imagine that there is something in the U.L. Whitebook too.
Don't you think that if the manufacturers wanted the dead front's made out of sheet metal that they would just do it them selfs. Sure would be a lot cheaper.
I would look at 314.41 and figure that dead fronts should fall under that too. I would imagine that there is something in the U.L. Whitebook too.
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